Have you ever stumbled upon an Instagram account that catches your eye while navigating through the Explore page, only to have it wiped from your memory when you try to go back and find it again? We definitely have! And sure, taking a screenshot of the account helps combat these memory flukes, but it’s certainly not the most seamless solution. If only there were a better way…and now there is! It seems our wish has become Instagram’s command; ladies and gentlemen, meet the Save Button.
Instagram users can now keep track of posts they want to revisit later, thanks to the app’s newest feature, Saved Posts. “For Instagrammers stumbling upon a business they want to remember, a new product they like, or a memorable ad, they can now keep track of favorite posts right from their profile,” Instagram shared on its blog. Think of it as a digital filing cabinet, keeping your collection of interests in a single, organized, and easy to access space.
This new bookmarking tool allows users to save photos or videos in a private tab by pressing a button in the lower right-hand corner of a post – similar to the way you would “Like” it. But unlike when you “Like” a post, your friends won’t be able to see which posts you’ve saved. These posts can be accessed from the user’s main profile page, and when enough are collected, the saved feed will look similar to a user’s personal feed. And don’t worry – users aren’t notified when another user has saved their post.
From a business perspective, brands can and should take advantage of this feature. It can be used as a curation tool, making it easier than ever before to keep track of user-generated content. And because Saved Posts include the original description and tags, giving post credit to the original user when repurposing content is as easy as one, two, three. Businesses can also use this feature to see what is and isn’t working for their competition and strategize their efforts accordingly.
While the update may seem relatively inconsequential, it could have implications for brands down the road. Business accounts might not have access to what people are saving, but Instagram surely does. It could influence the algorithm, increasing the likelihood of a brand’s post showing up in a user’s feed dependent upon the content of the user’s Saved Posts. From a data perspective, Saved Posts tell Instagram a lot about a user’s interests. Instagram could use this data to expand and improve upon its ad targeting capabilities. For example, an interior design brand might one day have the ability to target users saving photos of furniture or posts from home décor influencers. Saved Posts no doubt offers a wealth of information, but only time will tell just how Instagram will put this information into practice.
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